Editing Reflexology (section)

{{short description|Alternative medical practice involving pressure to parts of the body}}
{{Alternative medicine sidebar |fringe}}
[[Image:Foot Chart1 small.png|right|thumb|An example of a reflexology chart, demonstrating the areas of the feet that practitioners believe correspond with organs in the "zones" of the body.]]

'''Reflexology''', also known as '''zone therapy''', is an [[alternative medicine|alternative medical]] practice involving the [[acupressure|application of pressure]] to specific points on the feet, ears, and hands. This is done using thumb, finger, and hand [[massage]] techniques without the use of oil or lotion. It is based on a [[pseudoscientific]]<ref name=QuackWatch/> system of zones and reflex areas that purportedly reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands, with the premise that such work on the feet and hands causes a physical change to the supposedly related areas of the body.<ref name="Kunz&Kunz1993">{{cite book | last1 = Kunz | first1 = Kevin | last2 = Kunz | first2 = Barbara | title = The Complete Guide to Foot Reflexology | url = https://archive.org/details/completeguidetof00barb | url-access = registration | publisher = Reflexology Research Project | year = 1993 | isbn = 9780960607013 }}</ref>

There is no convincing scientific evidence that reflexology is effective for any medical condition.<ref name="Ernst E 2009 263–6">{{cite journal |journal=Med J Aust |year=2009 |volume=191 |issue=5 |pages=263–266 |title=Is reflexology an effective intervention? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials |author=Ernst E |doi= 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02780.x|pmid=19740047|s2cid=17307793 }}</ref>